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JFuncral ©ration. 



AN 



ORATION 



BY 



BENJAMIN THOMPSON, 



ON THE 



DEATH OP ZACHARY TAYLOR, 



( Late President of the United States. ) 



CHARLESTOWN. 

PRINTED BY CALEB RAND 
18 50. 



FUNERAL ORATION 



ON THE 



Eleatl) of ^adjarg % aglor, 

(LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,) 
DELIVERED BY REQUEST OF THE 

CITY COUNCIL, CHARLESTOWN, 
JULY 31st, 1850. 



By BENJAMIN THOMPSON. 



CHARLESTOWN. 

PRINTED BY CALEB RAND. 
1850. 



f&Z 






CITY OF CHARLESTOWN. 

August 10, 1850. 

Dear Sir : ~ , 

I have the honor to forward to you the accompanying Order 

of the City Council, thanking you for the excellent tribute paid to the exalted 
character and services of the late President of the United States, in the Funeral 
Oration delivered by you on the 31st of July last, and requesting a copy of the 
same for the press. Your compliance with the request of the City Council will, 
I believe, give great pleasure to your fellow-citizens, and to no one more than to 
Your humble servant, 

G. WASHINGTON WARREN. 
Hon. Benj. Thompson. 



In Board of the M 



ayor and Aldermen, ) 
August 5, 1850. > 



Ordered, That the thanks of the City Council be given to the Hon. Ben- 
jamin Thompson, for the able, impressive and highly appropriate Funeral 
Oration, delivered by him on the thirty-first day of July last, upon the life and 
character of Zachary Taylor, late President of the United States, and that 
he be requested to furnish a copy for the press. 

Sent down for concurrence. 

G. WASHINGTON WARREN, Mayor. 

In Common Council, August 5, 1850. 

Concurred. II. P. FAIRBANKS, President. 

A true copy, as appears of record. 

Attest : A. B. SHEDD, City Clerk. 



Charlestown, August 10, 1850. 

Dear Sir : . . , 

In compliance with the request of the City Council, which 

you have so kindly communicated, a copy of the Funeral Oration is furnished 

for the press. 

Yerv- resnectfullv yours, 

J l J J BENJ. THOMPSON. 

G. Washington Warren, Esq., 

Mayor. 



FUNERAL ORATION, 



The sounds of lamentation are heard and the emblems of 
mourning are seen around us ; the solemn knell — the minute 
g im — the funeral procession, with measured step and muffled 
mus i c — this sacred Temple and our nation's ensign, shrouded 
with the insignia of death — this large and saddened assem- 
bly — these all speak to us in a voice from the sepulchre ; they 
call us to contemplate another exhibition of the sway of that 
last enemy, before whom no human greatness can contend, 
and to whom the loftiest like the lowliest must yield, when 
the conflict comes. 

Alas ! It is even so ! Death has conquered another and a 
noble victim, and called a nation to mourning; this great 
people, throughout this vast Republic, has been suddenly 
startled by the sad intelligence that its respected, honored, 
and beloved chief magistrate, Zachary Taylor, is no more ! 

My friends, we have assembled in accordance with the ar- 
rangements of our respected City Council, to perform the 
obsequies due to the station and character of our deceased 
President ; to record some memorial of our respect for his 
memory, and of our regard and gratitude for his public 
services. Prompted by feelings of high admiration for the 
character of the deceased, I have undertaken the part with 
which I have been honored in these services ; I now solicit 
your kind indulgence for the imperfect manner in which I 
know it will be performed. 

It had long been among our cherished hopes that President 
Taylor would visit Charlestown. With hearty unanimity 



he had been twice invited by onr City Council and had 
signified his ready acceptance. Sickness and death have in- 
tervened, and this hope can never be realized. To me it is a 
source of deep regret that I have never seen him. Had his 
life been spared to visit us, I had good reason to expect that 
an opportunity would have been afforded me at my own home. 

Within the brief period of but little more than one year, 
death has taken away many from among our eminent men ; 
and it seems to me befitting this mournful occasion to con- 
template for a moment some of its ravages. The immediate 
predecessor of President Taylor had but just closed his term 
of high official trust ; had gracefully received his successor 
at the Capitol ; and, bidding adieu to the honors and the bur- 
dens of his office, was hastening, with his amiable partner, 
to the anticipated joys of a dignified retirement, when he was 
arrested by sickness, and suddenly stricken down by death. 
His elegant retreat, awaiting, but never receiving, its expected 
occupant, long wore the badges of mourning, evincing the 
intensity of a widow's grief, while the nation deeply regretted 
the death of one who had been honored with its highest gift, 
and who had labored to promote and sustain the welfare and 
honor of his country. 

Four months ago this day, (March 31st,) the eminent 
Calhoun — a name always associated with power and influ- 
ence, and, to those who knew him well, with honor, integrity 
and truth — was called away by death, no longer to sway a 
State or to electrify a Senate. And how rapid the transit of 
his successor from his home to the Senate, and from the Sen- 
ate to the grave. Within two short months from the decease 
of Mr. Calhoun, he received his appointment, took his seat in 
the Senate, and followed him to the tomb. 

And death has approached us yet nearer. On Thursday 
last, one of our own members of Congress — the Hon. Daniel 
Putnam King — died at his residence in Danvers. Mr. King 
was a gentleman of high moral and religious character, and 
kind and true in all the relations of life. He possessed good 
sense, sound judgment, and a well-adorned and cultivated 



mind. As a member of Congress, as well as in all his public 
stations, he was faithful, industrious and efficient, and the 
excellence of his character, and the uniform amenity of his 
manners, united to strong intellectual powers, gave him a 
high standing and large influence at Washington. His fam- 
ily, his friends, and his fellow-citizens have met with a se- 
vere loss, and deeply will his death be felt and deplored. I 
knew him long ; I knew him well ; he was an intimate and 
valued friend, and long a close companion, and sincerely do 
I lament his death ; and while my heart has prompted me to 
this brief public tribute to his memory, I can truly say of 
him— "very pleasant hast thou been unto me." 

What solemn and impressive lessons of our mortality ! 
How full of warning and of rebuke to those who indulge the 
animosities of party strife ; who pursue with such eagerness 
and through such toils and devices, the fleeting honors of this 
fleeting life, as if they were worth the struggle, and would 
endure forever when attained. How true it is that 

" The glories of this mortal state 
Are shadows, not substantial things." 

It is somewhat remarkable in our political history that two 
Presidents only have died in office since the establishment of 
our Government, and but one during the session of Congress, 
and this in the instance of him whose death we this day 
commemorate. 

On the Fourth of July, current, President Taylor appeared 
in his usual good health, and united with the citizens of 
Washington around that monumental structure which a 
grateful people are now raising to the memory of the most 
illustrious of his predecessors, in the public celebration of this 
birthday of our National Independence. Long exposure and 
extreme fatigue are supposed to have been the superinducing 
causes of his sickness, and it is believed that on this day, 
which was his last official appearance in public, the founda- 
tion was laid of his sickness and death. From the evening 
of the fourth until the eighth, he was at times quite sick, but 



8 

not much anxiety was felt either by his family or his physi- 
cian ; from this time, however, disease made great encroach- 
ments on his frame, and prostrated him with fearful rapidity, 
and on the evening of the ninth, at half past ten o'clock,he died. 

The circumstances attending his sickness and death pos- 
sess a melancholy interest, and are, doubtless, familiar to 
you. The frequent alternations of fear and hope which agi- 
tated so intensely his family, his physicians, and the many 
friends around him ; the serene composure of the illustrious 
patient, conscious, as he was, that his end was near, and that 
all the pomp and pageantry of his high station were so soon 
to be exchanged for the silent darkness and the narrow con- 
fines of the grave ; the calm, brief retrospect of his official 
conduct, re-assuring the world of the integrity of his motives, 
and of the severe trials of his station, are precious memorials 
of his fidelity and of his conflicts. " I should not be sur- 
prised," said he to his physician, " if this sickness were to 
terminate in my death. I did not expect to encounter what 
has beset me since my elevation to the Presidency. God 
knows that I have endeavored to fulfil what I conceived to 
be my honest duty. But I have been mistaken. My mo- 
tives have been misconstrued, and my feelings grossly out- 
raged." His mental sufferings were undoubtedly great, 
arising from such circumstances, and great must have been 
their effect to protract and heighten, if not to render fatal, his 
sickness. 

An official bulletin, issued only seven hours before his 
death, announced that the crisis had passed and that he was 
beyond immediate danger. The bells rang for joy ; the whole 
population of the city— apparently — with joyous steps bent 
their way to his mansion ; and even the boys in the streets 
built bonfires and shouted in childish gratulation. This last 
incident may appear trivial, but it speaks no mean praise. 
The kind heart of the President had exhibited its tenderness 
and love towards children, and they spontaneously offered 
that beautiful tribute of unsophisticated nature, free alike 
from duplicity and adulation. 



9 

During that last family interview, so indescribably affect- 
ing, he was asked whether he was comfortable. "Very," he 
replied, and added, "but the storm in passing has carried 
away the trunk." And in the secret communion of his 
heart with God at this solemn hour, to whom he ap- 
pealed to attest his integrity, who will say that he died 
not a Christian, at peace with man, at peace with God, and 
in the full hope of Heaven. But his hour has come ; and 
as his departing spirit breaks away from that family group, 
all overwhelmed with grief; and from a sorrowing people, 
who, in an immense multitude literally covered the spacious 
grounds about his mansion, how touching and impressive are 
his last brief words, and how abundantly do they confirm our 
impressions of the excellence of the man : "I am not afraid 
to die ; I expect the summons soon ; I have endeavored to 
discharge all my official duties faithfully ; I regret nothing; 
but I am sorry that I am about to leave my friends." He is 
gone ! The loss to the country how great ! To that bereaved 
family how peculiarly afflictive ! Alas ! he is gone ! The 
soul of the hero has fled ! 

" He sleeps his last sleep, he has fought his last battle; 
No sound can awake him to glory again." 

It has been said, " that the roll of our Chief Magistrates, 
since 1789, illustrious as it is, presents the name of no man 
who has enjoyed a higher reputation with his contempora- 
ries, or who will enjoy a higher reputation with posterity, 
than Zachary Taylor, for some of the best and noblest qual- 
ities which adorn our nature." Those who study his life and 
character thoroughly, will, I apprehend, subscribe to the 
truth of this remark. 

As suited to this occasion, and to the extent that it will 
justify me, I propose now to pass in brief and rapid review 
some of the more prominent incidents in the eventful career 
of this illustrious man. 

Zachary Taylor was born in Orange County, Virginia, 
November 24th, 17S4 His father, Richard Taylor, was a 



10 

Colonel in the army of the Revolution, and served with General 
Washington, by whom he was held in high esteem. In 17S5, 
and before his son Zachary was a year old, he removed to Ken- 
tucky, then known as the " Dark and Bloody Ground," and 
there filled many prominent stations in civil life, and was a 
member of the Electoral Colleges which voted for Jefferson, 
Madison, Monroe, and Clay. The education of his son Zacha- 
ry was necessarily limited; it was practical rather than finish- 
ed or classical ; and all the learning of schools that he acquired 
was under the pupilage of Mr. Elisha Ayres of Norwich, 
Conn., a private tutor in his father's family. The accident 
of his birth, which happened under a southern sky, had much 
less to do with the formation of his character, than the in- 
structions received from his distinguished parent, the severe 
discipline of a frontier life, and his good fortune to be early 
imbued with New England principles, under the tuition of a 
New England tutor. Manly independence, united with ener- 
gy and firmness, a modest demeanor, and an active intellect, 
were the characteristics of the boy, and these fixed, under 
the peculiar discipline of his life, that destiny which made him 
the man beloved of a nation, and the admiration of the world. 

In military glory there is a charm hardly less attractive 
to those who behold, than to those who achieve it. This senti- 
ment, encouraged by early associations, very naturally in- 
clined him to a military life, and on the third of May, 1S08, 
at the age of twenty-three, he entered the army, under a 
commission from Mr. Jefferson. 

The first conspicuous event in his military career is con- 
nected with the celebrated defence of Fort Harrison against 
the Indians, in which, as commander, he highly distinguished 
himself. This took place on the fourth of September, 1812; 
and the presence of mind, good judgment and undaunted 
courage which were exhibited by him on this memorable oc- 
casion, attracted public attention, elicited great applause and 
presaged a brilliant military career. 

It was a terrific scene, one in which a veteran might have 
quailed ; but our youthful hero proved equal to the occasion 



11 

and made a most triumphant defence. General Hopkins says 
of it : " The firm and almost unparalleled defence of Fort 
Harrison, by Capt. Z. Taylor, has raised for him a fabric of 
character not to be increased by my eulogy." 

For this gallant defence President Madison conferred on 
him the rank of Brevet-Major. 

After the close of the war in 1S15, Major Taylor was sta- 
tioned at various important military posts in the west, and 
we hear but little from him, beyond the sphere of his imme- 
diate occupation, until 1832, when in the Black Hawk war, 
he again greatly distinguished himself at the celebrated bat- 
tle of Bad Axe. 

On the death of Colonel Morgan, he was appointed Colonel 
in the First Regiment of Infantry. 

For several years he acted as Indian Agent, and by his 
prudence and tact, gained a strong influence over the tribes, 
who knew and always spoke of him as the Big Chief. 

In 1S35, he was ordered by President Jackson to the Sem- 
inole war in Florida, and throughout this tedious and pro- 
tracted struggle, he fully sustained his high reputation, and 
especially so at the battle of Okee-cho-bee, where the Indi- 
ans, under three of their fiercest warriors, being strong in 
numbers and advantageously posted, challenged a contest. 
The danger to be encountered nerved him more firmly, and 
he determined, to use his own words, " at once to indulge 
them as far as practicable." 

It was a terrible conflict. They fought hand to hand, and 
disputed every inch of ground. The conduct of Colonel Tay- 
lor was gallant in the extreme. He was complimented by 
General Jessup, "as having gained a complete victory in one 
of the best fought actions known to our history." And as a 
further and higher compliment to the value of his services, 
he was made Brevet-Brigadier-General. 

Subsequently he took command of the frontier posts, and 
all the energy of his inventive mind and his ripe experience 
was devoted successfully to the promotion of peace and re- 
conciliation. 



12 

With his active intellect he could not be idle, and during the 
long period he was posted on the frontier, he had time to cul- 
tivate his mind and store it with valuable knowledge, not only 
in what related to his profession, but also in that of a more gen- 
eral character ; and his subsequent life has demonstrated that 
he did so. He had acquired also a style of composition 
singularly marked by clearness, brevity and power, and in 
fine keeping with his whole character. Remarkable for carry- 
ing out his words in action, he seemed to be no less so in the 
power of transferring, in life-like resemblance and force, his 
thoughts and actions into words ; and any attempt to add 
ornament to his style, would be like the labor of those who 
work in precious jewels, only bringing out more brilliantly 
the inherent and original beauties. The temptations and 
vices, too common to a life in camp, seem to have had no in- 
fluence over him, and his habits were always marked by 
correct taste, order and sobriety. 

We come now to times and events familiar to many of us, 
in which General Taylor occupies a most conspicuous place, 
and acted a most important part. 

In 1815, the republic of Texas was annexed to the United 
States. This measure, in its inception, progress, consumma- 
tion, and consequences to individuals, our country, and to 
the world — as yet only in the process of developement — may 
well be considered as among the greatest and most important 
events in our political history. Viewed from its beginning, 
and in its progress towards the end — which is not yet — it 
presents points for consideration of intense interest and mo- 
ment ; but my province and my purpose are only with the 
individual, upon whose destinies this great measure had so 
important a bearing. 

It appears from information recently obtained,* that this 
was a most critical and important moment in General Taylor's 
life. After mature consideration, he had fully made up his 
mind to retire from the service, in which he had now been 

* Hon. C. W. Upham'a Eulogy. 



13 

engaged for nearly forty years, to devote himself to agricul- 
tural pursuits, and to spend the remainder of his days in that 
domestic retirement, so long and so anxiously looked for both 
by his family and himself. 

He had made all the arrangements for such a change, and 
had written his wife to this effect, when the order of the 
Secretary of War, of May 2S, 1S45, was received. His first 
impulse was to carry out the plan already matured, and resign 
his commission. But here a difficulty arose in his mind as 
to the proper course of duty — whether he ought to act with 
reference to himself or to his country, at this peculiar junc- 
ture both of his own and his country's affairs. This difficulty 
was not lessened by his known and freely acknowledged po- 
litical position, being opposed both to the annexation of Tex- 
as, and the impending war with Mexico ; but influenced by 
a sense of gratitude and of duty, and by a desire to promote 
peace rather than to prolong war, he decided for his country. 

It has been asked, why, if opposed to annexation and to 
the war, General Taylor did not resign his commission 1 
Without entering at all the field of controversy opened by 
this question, I shall, in justice to my subject, present Gen- 
eral Taylor's own answer, given with his characteristic brev- 
ity and power. He says : " Upon second thoughts I re- 
membered that for nearly forty years I had eaten the bread 
of the country, and I felt something rise within me, forbid- 
ding me to abandon that country, and desert her service at 
the moment that she called me to a difficult, responsible, disa- 
greeable and dangerous duty. I was a friend and lover of 
peace, and it occurred to me that if the management of the 
war were in my hands, I might have opportunity from time 
to time to mitigate its severity, to shorten its duration, and 
facilitate the return of peace. Considerations like these de- 
termined my course, and I abandoned my proposed resigna- 
tion." 

This important decision involved much — and who can say 
how much — of our nation's destiny, as well as his own. 
Noble and generous conduct ! What a conflict and how great 



14 

a victory ! The nation was all unconsious of this inward strug- 
gle, and yet. how true was he to it. and to the cause of hu- 
manity. Without the remotest thought beyond the prompt, 
faithful and honorable performance of his professional duty, 
and of promoting, to the extent of his power and position, 
the cause of peace, he at once proceeded to execute the order 
of the Secretary, and to put " the forces under his command, 
and those which might be added to it," in a position ' : where 
they might most favorably and effectually act in defence of 
Texas," should it become necessary. 

In the interval of time from this period in his life to 
its closing hour, what new scenes are to open to his 
view; what new dangers are to assail him; what daring 
feats of heroism and military prowess he is to perform; 
with what personal difficulties is he to struggle ; what new 
splendors are to be added to his already brilliant military 
renown : and what visions of yet higher glory are to dawn 
on the future of his earthly career ! And within what a 
narrow limit of time are all these to be accomplished ; how 
soon will the highest of earthly distinctions be attained and 
resigned, and that noble heart cease its throbbings forever ! 

The military career of General Taylor in Mexico, from the 
banks of the Rio Grande to its culminating point on the field 
of Buena Vista, was one triumphant march, through difficul- 
ties and dangers, to victories dearly bought and nobly won; 
and in the crown of victory which every where graced the 
conqueror's brow, the gem of humanity was most attractive. 

The Mexican war came upon the country suddenly, and 
our preparations at the moment were inadequate to the emer- 
gency. General Taylor had much to contend with in the 
unavoidable delays in providing him with munitions of war: 
but he made the best of his condition, and pushed his progress 
to the utmost limits of prudence, and always with success. 

At times he was in imminent peril; and you, doubtless, 
remember what anxiety was felt for him, and his little army, 
when he had left Fort Brown to secure his supplies which 



15 

were at Point Isabel. The tidings from him were threaten- 
ing. The news of the capture of Captain Thornton's detach- 
ment, April 24th, 1S46, had been received, and this event 
was looked upon by some as ominous of the defeat of our 
arms in Mexico. The battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
Palma followed on the eighth and ninth of May. Superior 
numbers and well-chosen positions gave decided advantages 
to the Mexicans; the contests were severe and sanguinary; 
but nobly did General Taylor redeem his pledge to fight 
with whatever numbers he might be opposed, and his prom- 
ise also to succor at all hazards, his camp at Fort Brown, 
which was assailed with a heavy and destructive cannonade 
during his absence. The victories of Palo Alto and Resaca 
de la Palma, and the safety of General Taylor and his army, 
resounded through the land with electric rapidity, and turned 
at once the tide of affairs in favor of the American arms. 

On the twentieth of September following, the celebrated 
siege of Monterey was opened. For three days it was main- 
tained with dreadful slaughter to both parties. Heedless of 
the entreaties of his staff, no considerations of personal safety 
could induce the brave General to take a retired position ; he 
was constantly in the midst of danger, the balls whistling 
around him, and ploughing the ground beneath his feet. 
Many were the evidences about his person and dress after 
the contest, demonstrating his exposure and not less his won- 
derful preservation. 

It was on this memorable occasion that his military skill and 
bravery, conspicuous as they were, were eclipsed by the supe- 
rior greatness of his humanity. He had the city in his power, 
but consented to terms of capitulation which stayed the work 
of destruction and carnage, prevented the horrors incident to 
the sacking of a city, and clothed the conquest of arms with 
the charm of magnanimity. He says: " The consideration 
of humanity was present to my mind during the conference 
which led to the convention." The puerile attempts to fix 
upon Gen. Taylor the charge of pusillanimity, in regard to 
this capitulation, utterly failed. He passed through the ordeal 



/ 



16 

unscathed, and new laurels were added to his victory, for 
having saved the lives of many of his own men, and those of 
the trembling and helpless women and children of the be- 
sieged city. 

The last and the culminating event in his military career 
was the great battle of Buena Vista. This was fought on the 
twenty-second and twenty-third of February, 1847. When 
all was prepared and ready for battle, General Santa Anna de- 
manded of General Taylor an unconditional surrender. With 
a superiority of numbers as four to one, this demand does not 
appear so very surprising or presumptuous. The answer of 
the American General was characteristic: "I beg leave to 
say that I decline acceding to your request." I shall not at- 
tempt any detailed description of this terrible contest. Night 
came on and stayed the dreadful carnage. General Taylor, 
with his exhausted troops, slept, the second night, on the field 
of battle, expecting to renew the bloody combat in the morn- 
ing. But when the sun rose again, the Mexicans were gone, 
leaving their dead and dying to the compassion of General 
Taylor, who did not neglect them. It is said* that upon the 
question being raised, whether the expenses of such a service 
would be allowed by the Government, he replied, that if Gov- 
ernment would not pay them he would, and ordered a separate 
account to be kept of all charges thus incurred. The battle of 
Buena Vista is among the most signal in the history of Amer- 
ican arms. It filled the measure of General Taylor's milita- 
ry fame, and will forever stand in the annals of our military 
exploits as a memorial of the skill, endurance and bravery 
both of the American General, and of American soldiers. 

From the fields of his military renown, (and this is 
among the conspicuous results of that great political event— 
the annexation of Texas)— the elevation of General Taylor 
to the presidency seemed to be fixed and determined. The 
public mind had been, unquestionably, attracted by the splen- 
dor of his military exploits ; but, with a discernment more keen 

*Upham's Eulogy. 



17 

and penetrating, and with more ability to measure men than 
those who aspire to power always know, or are apt to imagine, 
the people perceived that he possessed other and nobler qual- 
ities than those of a military character, which peculiarly 
fitted him for the Presidency ; and especially so, when the vio- 
lence of party spirit needed to be restrained, when the ambition 
of the too aspiring required to be rebuked, and when great 
force and independence of character, free from strong party 
biases, seemed to be imperatively demanded. 

It was not because General Taylor, fired by his successes, 
desired new fields of battle to gratify a military ambition, or 
favored an extension of the Republic by conquest, that the 
people elected him to be their President. The reverse of all 
this was the case. He says, " The object nearest my heart 
has been to bring the war to a speedy termination, to restore 
peace and amity between two neighboring Republics, which 
had every motive to cultivate good will. My life has been 
devoted to arms, yet I look upon war, at all times, and under 
all circumstances, as a National calamity, to be avoided if 
compatible with National honor. The principles of our gov- 
ernment, as well as its true policy, are opposed to the subju- 
gation of other nations, and the dismemberment of other 
countries by conquest." 

For sentiments like these, in combination with the great- 
ness of his powers, and the mild excellencies of his charac- 
ter, as exhibited in his military career, and throughout his 
whole life, he became " so much endeared to the people of 
the United States, and had inspired them with so much, and 
with so high a degree of regard and confidence, that without 
solicitation or application — without pursuing any devious 
paths of policy, or turning a hair's breadth to the right or 
the left from the path of duty — a great and powerful and 
generous people saw fit by popular vote and voice, to confer 
upon him the highest civil authority in the nation." 

The election of 184S resulted in the choice of Zachary 
Taylor as President by a decided majority ; on the fourth of 



18 

March, IS 19, he received the civic crown, and before a multi- 
tude greater than was ever before assembled at Washington, 
pronounced his Inaugural Address. 

Behold now the boy of the " Dark and Bloody Ground," 
who, by an unseen protecting hand had been literally led on, 
during a period of forty years, through dark and bloody 
grounds, occupying the highest place in this great Republic, 
and chief over a people numbering twenty millions. 

The brief Inaugural of President Taylor is a clear and 
satisfactory exposition of the principles which would govern 
him; is replete with sentiments of gratitude to the people, of 
devotion to the Constitution and the Union; and exhibits a just 
appreciation of the responsibilities of his high office, and a 
due regard for the interests of the whole people. His first 
message to Congress was presented on the twenty-fourth of 
December, 1849. As a state paper it is lucid and concise in 
its exposition of the affairs of the country, both foreign and 
domestic, and entirely satisfactory to his political friends, 
both as to principles and policy ; and while they find in it 
nothing to condemn, but every thing to approve, it is believed 
that his political opponents see but little, if indeed anything, 
to call forth their animadversions. It has received high en- 
comiums both at home and abroad, and will take its place in 
our political archives as a high memorial of the wisdom, in- 
tegrity and patriotism of its illustrious author. 

During his brief administration, much transpired to call 
into exercise his wisdom, prudence, firmness and patriot- 
ism. Among many other instances, we may refer to 
his prompt, energetic and successful course in reference to 
the interruption of diplomatic intercourse with France ; his 
no less prompt and successful interference to prevent, in the 
affairs of Germany, a violation of our neutral obligations in- 
curred by the Treaty with Denmark ; the preservation of 
friendly relations with Spain, by his prompt, and decided 
measures to arrest the progress of the expedition against 
Cuba— measures, not of form alone, but of substance, and 



19 

carried out into effectual action ; the vindication of the hon- 
or of the nation in the restoration of the abducted Rey ; his 
preparation to welcome unfortunate Hungary into the family 
of nations, had she been successful in establishing such a 
government as could have been recognized ; his clear and 
firm course in favor of the admission of California, with her 
free constitution ; his desire to avoid the dangerous conse- 
quences that would follow the agitation of the terrible ques- 
tion of Slavery, as evinced in his policy in regard to the re- 
maining Mexican territories, New Mexico and Utah ; his 
ready sympathy and desire to act, to the full extent of 
his constitutional power, in that case of melancholy in- 
terest, the missing Sir John Franklin, and his associates ; 
and more recently, his firm position in reference to that 
threatening question — the boundaries of Texas — as exhibited 
in his Message on that subject, which has been characterized 
by one of the leading minds of the Senate* as the " law and 
the prophets, brief and simple, but true and wise, which will 
stand as a monument to his memory — a monument to his 
judgment to see the right, and to his firmness in maintaining 
it. It was his last message, and the symbol of his character, 
brief, plain, honest, wise, firm and to the point, and will re- 
main in the memory of his country longer than graven words 
can remain upon stone or brass." And, added to these, were 
the negotiation and ratification of several important Treaties ; 
especially, that most important of all, the signing of which, 
on the 5th of July, is said to have been his last official act, 
and which may be viewed as the crowning act of his great 
mission, the convention concluded between the United States 
and Great Britain, for facilitating and protecting the con- 
struction of a ship canal between the Atlantic and Pacific 
oceans, containing new features and important provisions 
which mark its conclusion as an era in the history of inter- 
national compacts, and as a signal step towards the grand con- 
summation of universal brotherhood and peace. These 
measures, with many others, have all been accomplished in 

* Hon. T. IT. Benton. 



20 

a period of but little more than one year, and this the first 
year of his administration. What a presage did these pre- 
sent of a patriotic, successful and brilliant civil career ! 

In reviewing the life and character of General Taylor, we 
find that he possessed noble qualities both of mind and heart, 
and that he enjoyed, in an extraordinary degree, the respect 
and regard of the American people. Most eminently did he 
possess that peculiar quality — so valuable to a public man — 
the power to inspire confidence. 

In studying the secret of his great power and influence, it 
is, I think, to be found in his strong natural powers of intel- 
lect, developed, directed and matured by extraordinary cir- 
cumstances of time and place, and controlled and adorned 
by great purity of heart, and unsuspected honesty of pur- 
pose. He was a great man without parade ; a good man 
without ostentation ; a man of service towards his fellow- 
men without that calculation of reward which stamps at 
once every action with the character of selfishness. Highly 
endowed with the spirit of Liberty, and nurtured in its prin- 
ciples; surrounded from early life by all that was grand and 
imposing in natural scenery to excite his wonder and admi- 
ration, and by all that could arouse his energies through 
hopes and through fears ; always with the people in sympa- 
thies and in actions; he grew with their growth and strength- 
ened with their strength. With no adventitious aids of birth 
or fortune, placing him, in his own estimation, above the lev- 
el of those around him, the rugged necessities of his early 
life constantly exercising his inventive powers, no time was 
allowed, nor opportunities presented to him to cultivate the 
graces of polished life and manners. 

Designed for the hard and sturdy service of life, his prep- 
aration was approriate, and he grew up strong and manly, 
and fully fitted for his mission. Like the stately and majes- 
tic oak of his familiar forests — its roots deep — its trunk 
strong — its boughs waving in natural gracefulness — he was 
prepared with forces to meet and to withstand the blasts of 



21 

mighty tempests; and when the storm had passed, to recipro- 
cate all the beautiful charities of life in natural simplicity 
and heartiness. 

General Taylor must have possessed also, the power of 
genius, not merely in the general sense of the term, but of 
genius for his profession, as a military man. 

A single victory may be gained by chance, and is no pos- 
itive evidence of greatness ; but when through a long mili- 
tary career, we meet with successive displays of skill ; a con- 
stant surmounting of difficulties; the movements of the enemy 
anticipated and counteracted ; the sudden reverses of battle 
retrieved by new movements as sudden ; when the power of 
invention, that striking characteristic of genius, is severely 
tasked and found equal to all emergencies ; when not a sin- 
gle victory, but a series of victories are achieved against a 
superior force, and in spite of unfavorable position ; there is 
exhibited the clear and positive evidence of great military 
genius. 

He seems to have been distinguished, also, by great quick- 
ness of thought, and to have comprehended in a glance what 
most men have to acquire by study. Hence he was not al- 
ways bound by rules, and without undervaluing, he knew 
when and how to disregard them, and to carve out his own way 
to success. It was said by him who now occupies the chair 
of the Senate,* in his eloquent remarks on the deceased Pre- 
sident, that '-'the gallantry of that man was not only appre- 
ciated by his countrymen, but was felt and appreciated by 
the first military men of Europe." The living hero of the 
age, the great Duke of Wellington, declared, as Napoleon had 
declared of him on a certain occasion, "General Taylor is a 
General, indeed." 

But beyond the attractions of a military hero, we have 
seen that there were traits of character possessed by General 
Taylor yet more active and ennobling, drawing the common 
heart towards him by the strong ties of a common humanity. 
He was honest, frank, kind, affable, modest ; always faithful 
* Hon. Wm. R. King. 



22 

to his friends, and kind to his enemies ; while the unspotted 
purity of his private life threw a charm over his whole char- 
acter that will forever embalm his memory in the affections 
of those who can appreciate real goodness and true greatness. 

"It was my fortune," says the Senator just quoted, "to 
have been personally and intimately acquainted with General 
Taylor for more than five and-twenty years past. My rela- 
tions with him were of such a character as enabled me to 
form, I think, a correct estimate of the man, and to appreci- 
ate, as I did most highly, his many estimable qualities ; and 
I can say that, in all the relations of life, he so bore himself 
as to command the respect of his acquaintances, the ardent 
regard of his friends, and the devoted attachment of his coun- 
trymen. As a man, he was surpassed by no one in honesty of 
purpose. He was without guile." 

Although the conflicts with the mother country had pas- 
ed, and peace with her had been restored, a great work re- 
mained to be performed ; and the conducting of the nation 
safely through the ardent youth of its Independence — through 
all the dangers incident to the first possession of freedom, as 
exhibited by individuals and states, and the concentrating all 
the jarring elements of political life, now in active commo- 
tion, into one harmonious Union, were a work hardly infe- 
rior, either in its importance or its difficulties, to the accom- 
plishment of that Independence. This was the labor of the 
time when he first began to observe what was going on 
around him. His dawning life opened upon these scenes and 
conflicts, and his susceptible heart received their full im- 
press. The first warm gushings of the spirit of Freedom 
were every where around him, with the wild grandeur of the 
unsubdued forests, and the yet wilder scenes of savage life. 
All these influences were calculated to promote a strong 
growth j strong men were needed, and strong men were rear- 
ed ; men who could perform the rough work of life, and 
were ready to perform it ; men who would not faint under 
the severe toils of the emigrant's life ; who would not quail 



23 

at the sound or the sight of the savage foe. Of such a class 
of men, and of such firm growth, was Zachary Taylor- 
from his cradle to his grave an American. No sectional pre- 
judice, no party bias ever detracted from his true American- 
ism. He was born for his country, and through his whole 
life he lived and acted for that country; and in the hour of 
his death he sealed his devotion to the great bond of our 
Union in those memorable words — "Apply the Constitution 
to every difficult question." And as his mind reverted to his 
recent visit to the monument now being erected to Washing- 
ton, how patriotic are his feelings ! and how eloquent are his 
words ! " Let it rise, (he said,) let it ascend without inter- 
ruption ; let it point to the skies ; let it stand forever as a 
lasting monument of the gratitude and affection of a free 
people to the Father of his Country." 

His name has been coupled with that of Washington. 
There is, doubtless, a resemblance between them in many 
points of character. The elements of all true greatness are 
the same in all ; but there were some peculiar and striking 
points of likeness which it would be pleasant to follow out, 
if time would permit. We would not, however, let our pre- 
sent warm feelings of admiration lead us into any excess of 
eulogy. Washington lived through not only a high military 
career, but also through a higher civil career, and triumphed 
in both. His times, his services, and his triumphs were pe- 
culiar, and the name of Washington stands alone. General 
Taylor occupies an exalted place among the famed ; he was 
raised up for a great work, and nobly has he performed it. 
His military career is signalized by great deeds, and tarnish- 
ed by no base acts ; and his military fame will always occu- 
py a high place in our military annals. An appreciating, gen- 
erous and confiding people bestowed upon him the honor of 
the civic crown. He has borne his honors meekly, but brief- 
ly has he been permitted to wear them. The responsibilities 
of his station were multiplying; its dangers threatening; 
black and ominous clouds were gathering in the political 



24 

horizon. In this impending storm, all eyes were turned to- 
wards him. Will he he found equal to this trial ? Will he 
stand, as he always before has stood, firm, and breast its 
fury? To these questions no response will ever come. Prov- 
idence has interposed. We know not what the future would 
have disclosed, had he been permitted to live. But we can 
say that the general sentiment of the people is something 
more than hope, or faith ; it is that of strong confidence, ris- 
ing to assurance, that he would have proved equal to all 
perils. His whole life forms the strong basis of this confi- 
dence, and it was universal and unwavering. But he is 
spared the trial. Death approaches him. Proximity to death 
is no new position for him to occupy, but thus far an unseen 
hand has protected him. Now he sees the fatal arrow ap- 
proaching with unerring aim, but no averting hand ; he ex- 
pects the summons soon ; it comes ; he meets this last enemy, 
not as always before, to conquer, but to yield ; and, regret- 
ting only that he must now "leave his wounded behind 
him," he peacefully resigns his great life, at the very opening 
of his civil career, and is borne away to the rest of the grave, 
and as we trust, to the happiness of Heaven. 

And who can say that his career on earth was not closed 
at the most auspicious moment for his fame in all his remark- 
able life. "For his country he may have died too soon," but 
for himself what a glorious departure ! How much affection 
and love gathered around his death-bed ; what gratitude for 
his services and veneration for his memory pervaded this 
whole people ; to his military fame nothing to be added, and 
from his civil administration everything to be hoped and 
believed. 

President Taylor has fulfilled his great mission on earth, 
and has been called to a higher sphere of duty and joy. An 
admiring people will forever cherish his memory in fond and 
grateful recollection. He has left us, and we mourn his loss ; 
but he has not left us or our country alone. God is the Su- 
preme Ruler, and abideth forever; and to His dispensa- 



25 

tions we would submissively bow in faith that He doeth all 
things right. Let us then, in this hour of gloom, have faith 
in God, confidence in our fellow-men, and hope for our 
country. 

What an imposing spectacle does our country now present. 
The darkness of death in its highest place overshadows us, 
but the Temple of Liberty remains unshaken, the peace of 
our country unbroken, our admirable system of Government 
neither destroyed nor deranged. This event brings with it 
no convulsions to disturb us ; no revolutions to threaten us >' 
we are afflicted, but not cast down; we are in tears, but not 
in despair. 

The way of duty is open and clear before us ; and as we 
pass on in the course of our great destiny as a nation, enriched 
by the precious memories of the past, and filled with new 
strength by the recollection of its noble actors, let each of 
us so live, that when our missions, however humble, shall 
have been accomplished, we may pass away in peace, leav- 
ing among those with whom our lot has been cast, some 
pleasant memorial of a useful life, and be found worthy to 
join the company of the faithful who have preceded us. 

The harness of office, laid off by the lamented dead, has 
been buckled on by the honored living. There are wisdom 
and power, fidelity and patrotism left in our land. The pre- 
cious heritage received from our fathers will be preserved, 
and transmitted to our children. 

And under the smiles of that kind Providence which es- 
tablished, and has thus far protected us, we will hope, and 
believe, and labor, that our beloved Republic may abide in 
union and strength, and be safely conducted, through all the 
perils that may threaten it, to the full accomplishment of its 
glorious mission of Freedom and of Peace. 
4 



ORDER OF PROCESSION, 

AND 

SERVICES AT THE WINTHROP CHURCH, 



ORDER OF PROCESSION. 

Boston Brigade Band. 

Military Escort. 

Charlestown Artillery, Captain Jonathan Bartlett. 



FIRST DIVISION. 

Aid. City Marshal. Aid. 

Marshal. Mayor, Marshal. 

Orator and Chaplain. 

Aldermen and City Clerk and Messenger. 

Marshal. President of Common Council. Marshal. 

Members of the Common Council, Clerk and Messenger. 

Gentlemen invited from other places, and conductors of the 

Public Press. 

Clergymen of the City. 

City Treasurer and Assessors. 

Overseers of the Poor. 

School Committee. 

Past Officers and Members of the City Council. 

Teachers of the City Schools. 

Other City and Ward Officers. 

Members of the General Court. 

Former Selectmen. 



27 

SECOND DIVISION. 

Marshal. Marshal. 

Navy Yard Band. 

Marine Corps, Captain English. 

Officers of the Navy. 

Officers of the Army. 

Postmaster of Charlestown. 

Other United States Officers belonging to this city. 

Master Mechanics and others connected with the Navy Yard. 



THIRD DIVISION. 

Marshal. Marshal. 

Board of Engineers. 

Officers and Members of the Fire Department. 

FOURTH DIVISION. 

Marshal. Marshal. 

Bunker-Hill Encampment, No. 5. 

Other Lodges and Associations. 

Sons of Temperance. 



FIFTH DIVISION. 

Marshal. Citizens. Marshal. 

The Procession was formed at three o'clock, P. M.. and 
moved from the City Hall up Main Street, to its junction 
with Harvard and Bow Streets ; thence countermarched to 
the City Square, round the Square, up Harvard to Arrow 
Street, thence through Arrow, Washington, Union and Main 
Streets, to the Winthrop Church. 

ORDER OF SERVICES AT THE WINTHROP CHURCH, 

I.— Dirge on the Organ, and chant by the Choir* from the 
90th Psalm— <• Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in 
all generations," &c. 

II.— Selections from the Scriptures, read by the Rev. P. H. 
Greenleaf. 

III.— Prayer, by the Rev. P. H. Greenleaf. 

**«r he S ™ g ~ g was h y the Choir of the Winthrop Church, under the direction 
ot Wm. M. Burns, Organist of the Winthrop Church. 



28 
IV.— Original Hymn, by Hon. George Lunt:— 

Rest, wearied soldier, rest, — thy work is done; 
Thy last great battle fought, thy victory won, 
And where thy country's genius vigil keeps 
Around thine honored grave, a nation weeps. 

Not in the tumult of the swelling fight 
On thy long day came down the peaceful night, 
But mid thy country's annals, that proclaim 
Thy worth, thy valor and thine honest fame. 

Rest, patriot-hero, rest, the war of life 
No more shall vex thee with its fevered strife, 
Nor mortal care, nor pomp of earthly state, 
Weigh down thy soul, — the toil of being great ! 

All human things are vain, the mightiest power 
Fades like a shadow, withers in an hour ; 
Our proudest hopes decay, our surest trust 
Dissolves and dies, and we ourselves are dust. 

And while thy name floats down time's rolling stream. 
The soldier's glory and the sages theme, 
Taught by thy fate, let this the nations own, 
That God on high is great, and God alone ! 

V. — Eulogy, by the Hon. Benjamin Thompson 
VI. — The 90th Psalm, second part. 

O GOD, our help in ages past, 

Our hope for years to come ; 
Our shelter from the stormy blast, 

And our eternal home ; — 

Beneath the shadow of thy throne, 

Thy saints have dwelt secure ; 
Sufficient is thine arm alone, 

And our defence is sure. 

Before the hills in order stood, 

Or earth received her frame, 
From everlasting thou art God, 

To endless years the same. 

Thy word commands our flesh to dust, 

" Return, ye sons of men ; " 
All nations rose from earth at first, 

And turn to earth again. 

O God, our help in ages past, 

Our hope for years to come. 
Be thou our guard, while troubles last, 

And our eternal home. 

VII. — Benediction. 

After the exercises at theWinthrop Church, the procession 
was formed again in the same order, and proceeded directly 
to the City Hall, where it was dismissed. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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